4 Questions to Ask to Maximize Your Donor’s Online Experience
Hannah Jurius
Owner, Sparrow Marketing,
The end of the year is a busy season for your school’s fundraising efforts. Your team will be making phone calls, sending letters, exchanging emails, and meeting with donors to discuss the impact they can have if they choose to give to your school. While they consider making a gift, donors will likely spend some time on your website, whether to check in on what is happening at the school or to make an online gift.
With all that fundraising traffic headed to your site, you don’t want to miss the opportunity to reinforce your school’s brand, build trust, and make a strong impression. It’s wise to spend some time reviewing your online presence to ensure donors have a seamless experience when giving on your site. Here are four key questions to ask yourself to help evaluate your online presence and steps to take to maximize the donor experience.
How Many Clicks Does It Take to Get to the Online Donation Page?
When donors visit your website, they should be able to quickly and easily navigate to a page where they can give online. The fewer clicks, the better. Start by making sure there is a clear call-to-action (CTA) on the homepage– a button leading directly to a page made just for donors. You’ll also want to include this link in your main menu. The donor page should be user-friendly and give donors all of the information they need to feel informed and inspired to give. If possible, embed your giving form directly on the donor page.
Action Step: Add CTAs to your homepage and minimize the number of clicks required to get to a donation form.
Is Your Site Mobile-Friendly?
As you think about how you can provide a red-carpet experience for some of your most valuable website users, a mobile-friendly user experience is critical. Review your website on your phone and confirm that the design is responsive to the small screen size. You want your site to look modern and up-to-date, with text, photos, buttons, menus, and graphics functioning as expected on a phone. Don’t forget to review your online donation portal as well to ensure your donation form is easy to interact with and looks sharp on mobile.
Action Step: If necessary, make edits to your donor page and online donation form to provide a clean and user-friendly mobile experience. If your site is not responsive, consider discussing a website redesign as a future project.
Is your giving platform secure?
Build trust with your donors by making sure your website and online giving platforms are secure. Your site should have an active SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate, which is indicated by a lock icon and “https” in your browser’s address bar. If you’re handling credit card transactions, make sure your site and giving platform comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) by working with PCI-compliant payment processors. Additionally, make sure your website platform and plugins are up-to-date with the latest version to avoid security issues.
Action Step: Discuss your site’s security with your IT team or website developer to make sure you’re checking all the right boxes.
Are you telling your school’s story in a compelling way?
Your donors likely range from individuals who are intimately familiar with your school to those who may know little about your community. It’s important that your website tells your school’s story to both audiences. This storytelling requires more than a well-written “About” page. Your website should both show (through photos, video, and data) and tell (through testimonials, page content, and blog articles) the impact your school is making in the lives of your students and alumni.
Action Step: Incorporate strong testimonials and photos on your website and donor page to showcase your school’s impact.
As you map out donor communications for the next several months, your website will be an important part of that plan. Investing time today to review and enhance your school’s site will make it easier for donors to contribute now and in the future, helping you meet your fundraising goals.
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Hannah Jurius has worked with Admissions and Marketing teams at Christian schools for nearly ten years. She is the owner of Sparrow Marketing, a marketing company focused on providing website support and marketing strategy to nonprofits and small businesses. To learn more about working with Hannah, visit sparrowmarketingco.com.